Wanted: Schooling Fish

[gpenner]

I would like to get fish that "school". What do you all recomend and at what quantity?
Thanks.

 

[jessica47421]

chromis, 5 maybe

 

[mx#28]

What size tank?

 

[gpenner]

55gal w/ 65lbs LR
Thanks.

 

[ccampbell57]

Get the Blue Reef chromis...5-6 of them.
Otherwise, get a school of Large angels

 

[jesses89]

id go with the green chromis.

 

[snakeblitz33]

If schooling fish is all you are going to get, I would get about 10 green chromis. They will eat up all the excess food and become an amazing and beautiful display (along with some other colorful fish)

 

[sly]

Green chromis are one of my favorite fish. I would not get less than 6 of them. They don't school as well for me with numbers smaller than that. About 8 would do well for you as long as you don't overstock on everything else.

 

[hocky]

I had horrible luck with my green chromis. I wanted a schooling fish, but they kept dying on me.

 

[mx#28]

Originally Posted by Hocky
I had horrible luck with my green chromis. I wanted a schooling fish, but they kept dying on me.
They have a very high metabolism and need to be feed frequently for long term success. Figure 3 or 4 times per day.

 

[gpenner]

Wow - that seems to be a bit eccessive. I would feel like I would be overfeeding.
I have 1 Yellow tang, 1 clown, 1 sixline, and 1 royal gramma and only feed once a day. But, I give a mixture of algae flake, regular flakes, and Mysis shrimp.

 

[nano reefer]

Chromis, if you had a bigger tank then you could try some anthias.

 

[gpenner]

what would be the minimum size tank for a small group?

 

[sly]

It depends on what other fish are in the tank but I would not go smaller than about 40 gallons for 6 of them (if they were the only things in the tank).

 

[sly]

Originally Posted by MX#28
They have a very high metabolism and need to be feed frequently for long term success. Figure 3 or 4 times per day.
I have had Green Chromis for many years and I rarely feed them more than once per day. I sometimes skip a day.

 

[quakstar]

Just for another scenario if you are working with a 90 gallon reef how many anthias could you do?

 

[seasalt101]

Originally Posted by Sly
I have had Green Chromis for many years and I rarely feed them more than once per day. I sometimes skip a day.
ours '' fast " every 4 days

 

[bizkitpug]

I have 5 in my 55 gallon. They get fed once every night. They have schooled very well since I got them 7 months ago. I was never a big fan, my boyfriend put them in there as a surprise for me. I am too lazy too catch them so they are still in there. They used to be a lot more skittish but lately when I put my hand in there, they know it is feeding time and swarm me. I have to shoo them away. They are pretty low maintenance.